The District of Port Hardy has agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding to supply land for the North Island Seniors Housing Foundation (NISHF) to build a seniors' housing complex.
Previously, the NISHF had wanted to utilize a portion of district property on Trustee Road for their complex, but after the funding for that project fell through, they decided to look for a new location to build on.
According to a staff report from Chief Administrative Officer Heather Nelson-Smith that was included in council's May 28 agenda, after partnering with the Rotary Seniors Housing to deliver on a project off of the existing site on Rupert Street, the foundation then approached Port Hardy council to consider extending the property line to the property directly behind the lot.
Nelson-Smith's report also stressed that currently, the district will not be responsible for any financial obligations, and any forms of financial support from the district, including staff time, "should be made [by the foundation] through a request for a grant in aid per the district's policy."
When asked to comment, Mayor Pat Corbett-Labatt said she thinks if the foundation is actually able to get the funding needed to build the complex, "it would be an amazing project for Port Hardy."
Coun. Dennis Dugas, who's also the chair of the NISHF, agreed wholeheartedly with the mayor.
"This is something we really need here in the North Island," stated Dugas. "The housings not just going to be for Port Hardy, it's going to be for people all over the Mount Waddington region. This will give seniors another opportunity to stay here in the North Island."